PUTRAJAYA, June 18 — The Immigration Department of Malaysia (JIM) has crippled a syndicate managing the Return Recalibration Programme operating from a room at a shop in Lebuh Ampang, Kuala Lumpur in a raid on Tuesday (June 15) and detained two Bangladeshi nationals believed to be the masterminds.

JIM director-general Datuk Khairul Dzaimee Daud said one of the two men was wanted by the Kedah JIM following the arrest of a Recalibration Programme agent in the state in March.

He said the syndicate was suspected of issuing Bangladesh travel documents in a disorderly manner and cheating Bangladeshi nationals under the JIM’s Recalibration Programme.

"The modus operandi of the syndicate is by targeting Bangladeshi nationals who had overstayed or did not have a document in the country,” he said in a statement today.

Based on preliminary information, he said the syndicate charged between RM1,100 and RM2,600 for every recalibration application while the application for a travel document would be charged from RM1,000 to RM1,500.

Several items believed to be linked to the illegal activity were found during the raid namely four passports, four Bangladesh Travel, scores of online appointment slips from various state JIM nationwide, movement control order permit forms for interstate travel, Bangladesh Embassy documents and eight bank cards.

Based on the slips, the syndicate was suspected to have managed more than 200 applications during the Recalibration Programme, he said.

Khairul Dzaimee said the suspects, aged 38 and 53, were detained and investigated under the Immigration Act 1959/63 and Passports Act 1966.

He said JIM has never appointed any agent to manage the Recalibration Programme.

"The public is advised to deal directly with this department and should not believe in third parties to manage the Recalibration Programme,” he added. — Bernama